two. they were last seen drinking with friends a week ago at

wells' home along the maine coast. in other news, hundreds of schoolteachers plan to attend firearms training today in salt lake city. the 200 teachers come from districts all across utah and volunteered for the concealed weapons training offered each year. organizers say in past years, only a few dozen teachers have attended, but they're expecting an overflow crowd now. to another growing gun controversy over a newspaper's decision to publish the names and addresses of hand gun permit holders. even though the information is a matter of public record, the publication has outraged a lot of readers. they suggest it puts the permit holders in danger because criminals have a guide to places they can steal guns. >> disclosure of the name and home address of every firearms licensee in new york has been a matter of public record for years. >> i may have some neighbors

that don't look in favor of gun owners, and may feel threatened. >> how is this for payback? some publicized the home addresses and phone number of the reporter who wrote the piece, along with other journalists at the paper. >> a little payback there. as you saw, you can click on your own neighborhood. this is public information, that is the one thing we should point out. but is it going too far? if you do have a gun, are you letting people know so burglars can come in and steal it? >> there are gangs involved that will stake out people's houses to see how easy it is to break in and get them. i'm just happy i'm not that reporter who did that piece, because that's a tough one. when your home address and all that privacy is violated, that's tough. >> you got to be careful what you do sometimes. some athletes are in the

news today. first off, dallas cowboys lineman josh brent has been indicted for intoxication manslaughter. brant is charged in connection with the crash that killed his friend and teammate jerry brown earlier this month. he's free on bond. the maximum sentence for the charge he's facing is 20 years. no word on when he'll be back in court. >> today is the deadline for lance armstrong to appeal his lifetime ban because of allegations he used performance enhancing drugs. when that ban was imposed, armstrong's seven tour de france victories were erased. he's signaled he has no intention of appealing the ban. >> and some of the french folks armstrong may have rode past are breaking a holiday season tab u and selling their unwanted presents. >> they might be on to something there. that's exactly what they were doing at this store in paris yesterday. patrons saying it's better than regifting. and during tough times, any bit

of money counts. >> and 52% of french people are planning to make money from their gifts. and maybe the other 40% are lying about it. you all know you've gotten a bad christmas present before. i have family members, you will remain nameless because we're on national television, and you're like, what am i supposed to do with this? i would think that they would be happy for you if you could make money off of it. >> regifting is almost a way of saving money any way. >> have you regifted? >> i'm trying to think. >> you have. >> i think we all have. >> you know you have. >> i've regifted. when you get that third or fourth toaster that you don't need anymore, what are you going to do? >> and there's always a lot of candles. coming up, what a spell binding year in politics.

>> and what a story of lost and found. a beloved pet feline missing for seven years and the unusual way she found her way home. you're watching "world news now." hey sis,

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welcome back, everyone. president obama is heading back to the white house. he's cutting his vacation short to be in washington where priority number one is avoiding the fiscal cliff. >> unless the president obama and congress can reach a deal by

the new year, tax increases and spending cuts will take deep effect. >> president obama's re-election was one of the biggest political stories of the year. >> with the first of our year enders, here's abc's karen travers. >> reporter: president obama had to overcome a well funded opponent, struggling economy and voter doubts that he had the right agenda to turn the nation around. and after a roller coaster season, he got them. mitt romney may have started off at the front runner, but to win the republican nomination, he had to fend off some feisty challengers. >> he's the worst republican in the country to put up against president obama. >> reporter: and overcome some self-inflicted wounds. after 50 primary contests,

romney clenched the nomination and it was on to the general election. >> it will be a choice between -- >> two very different paths. >> reporter: their battle focused on the economy. >> we can't afford another four years like the last four years. >> we need more tax cuts for working americans. >> reporter: early on, two key moments changed the subject that helped the president. >> i think same-sex couples should be able to get married. >> the supreme court has upheld that every american buy health insurance. >> reporter: in june, president obama announced a new policy that would allow at least 800,000 young immigrants facing deportation to stay in the u.s. >> in their hearts, in their minds, they are americans through and through. >> reporter: and he was rewarded on election day. hispanics made up 10% of the electorate this year. and the president won 71% of them. mr. obama had the power of the presidency, but he also had his

own missteps, which kept romney in the running. >> you didn't build that. >> reporter: neither side saw a major bounce out of the convention. both may be remembered for moments that didn't come from the candidates. >> what do you mean shut up? >> the numbers don't add up. >> reporter: just as romney's campaign was hoping to hit the reset button, another major self-inflicted wound. >> the 47% that depend on government. >> reporter: pundits declared doom for the public contender. but the president didn't bring that up in the first debate, giving romney a convincing win. then a late october surprise from mother nature that put the campaign on hold. >> this morning, the perfect storm. >> reporter: and resulted in some strange political bedfellows. >> i want to thank the president personally. >> reporter: by the long of this long, nasty campaign, millions felt the same as this sobbing 4-year-old.

>> i'm tired of both obama and mitt romney. >> reporter: on november 6, it was an historic win for president obama, who picked up every political battleground state. >> barack obama has been re-elected. >> reporter: there were tears in boston. >> i so wish i had been able to fulfill your hopes to lead the country in a different direction. >> reporter: and jubilation in chicago. as the president looked ahead to four more years. >> i return to the white house more determined and more inspired than ever. >> reporter: karen travers, abc news, washington. >> some iconic moments there. >> no matter what politics you side with, it was great seeing all the republican candidates during the debate this year. my favorite, herman cain. there were just these moments that make you laugh. >> you know who was better than herman cain? mike tyson has herman cain.

>> when you look back, you can find a lot of comedic moments. >> we want to set the scene very quickly about the fiscal cliff. president obama arrives back in d.c. today. the senate due in session today, but house leaders aren't saying whether they're going to call the chamber into session, because there's some back and forth going on and everything still can't agree. >> as always. coming up, why good credit may be considered sexy, guys. >> but first, the cattle in the middle of the lost and found story that's lasted seven years and now it's finally over. that story coming up next.

now that you're up, you're going to have that song roll through your head the roast of the morning. welcome back.

usually we report a owner's reunion of a pet, maybe the animal has been lost days or weeks. >> that's what makes this story so unusual. it's a reunion after seven years. >> i just want my little princess back. >> reporter: seven years ago, tricia's little sophia went missing. >> i cried for a week straight. after we found out that she went missing. >> reporter: this past weekend, sophia was found in san diego, about 400 miles away from her home here in phoenix. >> i'm beyond excited. i just want to get her back home. >> reporter: she anxiously awaits sophia's arrival back home. >> i'm so excited. i want to see my baby after all this time. >> reporter: finally, after seven long years, the moment arrives. yes, tricia and her cat, sophia,

are reunited once again. >> i was in disbelief. how does that happen? how does a cat come up seven years later from phoenix to san diego? >> reporter: this past weekend, the san diego humane society received sophia from a family that could no longer care for her. >> we scanned her for a microchip. her microchip had tricia's contact information and we got in contact with her. she said oh, my gosh, my cat has been missing seven years. >> i am so thankful. i am so incredibly thankful. >> reporter: for tricia, this will be one present she'll never forget. >> it's incredible. it's a christmas miracle right now. >> so cute. >> this brings tears to your eyes. >> it does. it makes sense to get the chip. oh, look at that. are you a cat guy? you look like you're mad. like you're trying to give away

the cat. >> that's my photo overseas.

so i'm sort of learning the ropes here. we've got "the mix" right now. is there a little dance that goes on with that? she's got her thing going on. we were talking about getting youtubed. that's going to get us on youtube. we want to take you to washington, d.c. and some starbucks in washington, d.c. deciding to jump right into this whole fiscal cliff debate. coffee baristas are -- they've been told to write on coffee cups to say "come together." so they're writing this handwritten message saying come together as a way of encouraging

politicians to come together and get this fiscal cliff cliff thing done. no word yet on when people get extra lattes, where they can write get your lazy ass off vacation. >> willis likes that a lot more. >> i womdzer if there's enough room. >> if you're looking for love, you better have a good credit score. take a look at this. ♪ >> okay, yeah. we're not going to say we're going after those guys, but it's the credit score guys. "the new york times" is reporting that credit scores is huge and that could be at the top of the list. they interviewed people across the u.s., and a newspaper discovered a low credit score is a deal breaker in search of love. so if you don't have your act together, take care of that and

maybe you'll find love. >> can you imagine, hi, how are you? what is your credit score? >> 420. no, mine is a lot higher. >> we want to show you this next footage. anyone who has ever had their parking lot stolen is going to love this. this is in russia. we don't know why this is being towed. i've got to get me one of these, because i would just love to drive around town. >> in new york especially. if you just have a little bit of money to spend, maybe $6. 5 million, there's a ferrari with your name on it. it's being auctioned off in arizona. and it's the 17th model, apparently 1960s. so if you have $6.5 mil, it can be yours.

muhammad, you got that

this morning on "world news now," health concerns. former president george h.w. bush is moved to intensive care. >> he's been in a houston hobble since thanksgiving and doctors say his health has taken an unfortunate turn. it's thursday, december 27. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> and good morning. i'm brandi hitt in for paula faris. >> and i'm muhammad lila in for rob nelson. happy thursday morning. or as i'm learning, day four in our terminology here at "world news now." >> yes. i'm so glad you came back. we were so worried. sometimes this shift scares people away. >> i've heard, and i think it's true, the viewers of this show are the coolest television viewers around.

even though we get some different faces, there's one constant here, we've got willis backing us up. willis in the house, ladies and gentlemen. >> you can hear him behind us every time. thank you for joining us and staying up. maybe you can't sleep, but we appreciate you here with us. thank you, willis. >> any time. coming up, we'll hear from a bush family spokesperson as the 41st president struggles to get better. then our other top story, the winter storm that is crippling a huge section of the country, setting its sights on the northeast this morning with a vengeance. >> and no one is being spared by this storm. also this morning, survivor's guilt in webster, new york. we're hearing from first responders who managed to survive that deadly arson and shooting not. they're talking about an unforgettable ordeal on christmas. later, helping the fbi crack down on moving companies that want to take you and your belongings for a ride. you're going to want to see how customers went undercover and helped federal agents.

>> interesting how they shot this video. but first, former president h.w. bush is in intensive care this morning at a houston hospital. he's been battling a series of setbacks since he was hospitalized last moment. >> now a fever has gotten worse and the president has been put on a liquid diet. a spokesperson says doctors are cautiously optimistic. >> he's in a bad way, but the doctors believe that there's a path for him to recover from this, and if we can get him to rally a little bit, we can start talking about a discharge date. >> former first lady barbara bush and the former president's children have been at his bedside during this entire crisis. >> he's such an active president. i don't know if many of you know this, he goes sky diving practically every birthday. even on his 80th birthday. the idea that he's had setback

after setback that's kept him in the hospital. >> the first thing you look for is, have they called the family to the bedside. so we know the family is surrounding him. certainly our prayers and best wishes go out to them. now to our other major story. a powerful winter storm that just continues to sweep across the country. it's now being blamed for at least six deaths. watches and warnings have been posted in 13 states, from the midwest to the south and the northeast. fierce winds, heavy snow really having an impact on millions of people throughout this christmas week. for now, we turn to abc's brad wheelis. >> reporter: it's hard to get out and about for many people in the u.s. and down right impossible for some. >> basically whiteout conditions. you look out the window and you couldn't hardly see outside. it's crazy. >> reporter: a massive winter storm is dropping record amounts of snowfall. the powerful weather system is now a mighty nor'easter, packing

winds and dumping more snow on already treacherous roads. >> we tried to get out of the parking spot in front of my apartment, and it's -- we're spinning in circles. >> reporter: the storm system also spawned dozens of rare december tornados that slammed into up tos along the gulf coast. mobile, alabama got hit hard. wide swaths of the port city plunged into darkness. >> the power went out, and we could hear it coming and we jumped in the bathtub. >> reporter: churches, homes, schools, crumbled. >> you forgot that it was christmas for a while. >> reporter: tens of thousands were told to forget about getting to their destinations. and a pilot talking to passengers was clearly fed up after waiting nearly five hours to take off. >> decisions are being made way above our heads by people that obviously, in my humble opinion, don't have a clue what they're doing. >> reporter: that flight, from

dallas to las vegas, never took off. brad wheelis, abc news, los angeles. >> unbelievable. some areas in new england could get a foot of snow before this snow gets finish. >> and now we go to meteorologist andrew baglini. good morning. >> good morning, muhammad and brandi. thankfully the severe weather aspect of the storm is over. looking at a lot of heavy rain and very strong winds along the i-95 corridor of boston, north into bangor where we're seeing some sleet and snow. we'll see that tapering off in buffalo. but buffalo through through northern portions of maine, picking up a lot of wet, heavy snow, making for some tricky travels on the roadways. again, sunshine returning to the southeast where the cleanup continues from the tornadoes and

wind gusts. >> thanks, andrew. we run a lot of weather footage. if you're watching the weather footage, you're probably at home where you eastern not stuck on the road and you don't want to be on the road. look at that. it's a little comforting to be at home and know that we are not stuck in that. that is near cleveland, ohio. the turnpike there, turning into a danger zone. you can barely see the vehicles as they're moving. >> there's also some individuvi the buffalo area. snowplow crews are hitting the road early. i've never driven in snow. i don't ever want to drive in snow. if it was me, i would be going 2 miles per hour and you would all be behind me taking forever to get to your destination. >> you're the kind of person we want driving in the snow. it's always those drivers going 40, 50 miles per hour when you

shouldn't be. >> i'll wait. just take a break and we'll do it some other time. just be safe. in other news, two firefighters who were hurt in that deadly shooting are doing much better. they had been in guarded condition, but now being upgraded to satisfactory condition. the hospital released a statement on their behalf saying they are "humbled and a bit overwhelmed by the outpouring of well wishers for us and our families." a police officer, who was slightly injured that that shooting, is also overwhelmed. >> i have many different emotions ranging from guilt to happiness, because i was home, you know, so i can't explain my emotions. >> a fellow police officer, who is now being identified, confronted the gunman. he's credited from preventing further bloodshed. to the newtown tragedy now and a message you may not think you would hear.

town leaders are asking well wishers across the country to stop sending the town gifts. it's not because they don't want them, but they've been getting so many that they can't keep up. they don't have the capacity to process all of them. the united way announced wednesday a fund established after the shooting to support newtown has grown to a wonderful $3.5 million. toyota has agreed to a $1 billion legal settlement, one of the largest in history, after deadly crashes involving toyotas with unintended excel ration. 16 million drivers filed a class action lawsuit. this morning, the settlement is a step closer to being a done deal. toyota agreed to fix 3 million cars and cover the cost of depreciation. a judge must sign off on that settlement now. i've been practicing this, getting ready for this one moment all week. this is like when they announce your name and you have to say

that one important thing. here it is. our favorite story of the day comes to us from far eastern russia. >> there it is. you have to see this. these bear cubs are being cared for by forestry officials. they are both 3 months old. it's believed their mother was killed by hunters. they are just too young to care for themselves. but boy, can they climb. >> and of course, the question that we all want to know, they are being called mashka and mishka. >> if you're home right now, say you got up and couldn't sleep, you may be grumpy, but that puts you in a good mood no matter what. >> absolutely. i wish we should see more of that. >> we may have to bring the bears back. still ahead on "world news now," family life inside the obama white house.

the inside scoop you're only going to get from a barbara walters exclusive. cracking down on moving companies that want to take you for a ride. we'll show you how customers are taking action. you're watching "world news now."

♪ you know why we were showing footage of the white house. president obama is heading back to the white house, cutting his hawaiian vacation short to be in washington where priority number one is avoiding the fiscal cliff. >> unless mr. obama and congress can reach a new deal by the new year, deep spending cuts will be taking effect. and while the president takes his flight back here to d.c., the first lady and their daughters are staying in hawaii. >> the first couple sat down with our very own barbara walters before their vacation. we pick up their conversation with talk about their family. >> i want to talk a bit about the girls. we've been watching them grow up from little girls to young

ladies. malia recently got her first cell phone. do you monitor it and see who she calls or who she texts? >> i give my daughter, i give her a long rope, and there is monitoring, because we have rules. but monitoring may be, you never know when i'm going to walk in your room and i'm going to ask you who are you talking about and are you talking about school work? >> and they're not very good at lying. we joke sometimes about how malia is getting to the age now, boys start calling and sort of -- i always talk about how one of the main things about running again was continuing secret service protection. >> mr. obama, there is a photograph of you that became viral, became the most shared photograph in the history of twitter. how do you keep the fire going? >> that's a good question. >> you know, we've been married

now 20 years, and like every marriage, i think you have your ups and downs. but if you work through the tough times, the respect and love that you feel deepens. >> you know, mrs. obama, you told me at one point that you would never run for political office. you said that you don't have the patience for political life. patience for what? >> i have learned from my husband, watching him, that it does require a great deal of patience to really feel the full impact of the work that you do on the ground. it doesn't happen right away. >> and she has a bigger difficulty biting her tongue. >> i think i've done pretty well at that. >> not bad. >> i have opinions. >> she's got a few views. >> you know a little something about views. >> yes, something about views. yes, i do. >> they look happy.

>> they do. when it comes to sasha and malia, you have to wonder what guy is going to approach them for a date. thank you, dad, for being tough. but they have secret service. >> you try to call them and people are following you around. that's a tough one. coming up, we're going to show you the movers from hell. >> this is undercover video. see what happens when a couple goes up against their moving company after demands for thousands of dollars more. that is next.

♪ hit the road, jack, and don't come back no more ♪ >> great song. welcome back. anyone who has moved, oh, you know it, moving can be such a pain. it's not only timely, it can be

expensive, unless you do it on your own. >> what you are about to see is a couple who got so fed up when their moving experience went from bad to awfully expensive. here's abc's elizabeth leamy. >> reporter: meet the movers from hell. >> i'm ready to jump on you, right inside the house, [ bleep ]. >> reporter: caught on a customer's camera, delivering broken belongings. delivering them late. >> the tv is broken. >> reporter: and just dumping them outside. >> nothing is going in the house. everything is going out here. >> reporter: the fight is about whether the customer should have to pay the original estimate of $7,000 or the $25,000 the moving company demanded later. and this is not the only case. >> he would just go ballistic on us. >> reporter: camera and vanessa hired the same moving company

and had a similar experience. a low-ball estimate of about $3,000, followed by a demand for nearly $10,000. >> it was crazy. we slept on the wood floor. we had nothing. >> reporter: the mover was golden hand of colorado. >> i actually told them, you're not even a company that i talked to in the first place to make this deal. and he says, well, i'm the company that you need to be talking to now, because i have your stuff. >> reporter: it's the latest problem in the moving industry. customers book their moves they're dealing with sketchy moving brokers who provide unrealistically low estimates, then sell the leads to actual movers like golden hand that jack up the price and hold people's goods hostage until they pay. >> i have said, what if we go undercover, find out if he really has our goods. >> reporter: they went undercover for the fbi, to this warehouse and found their stuff and lots of other people's.

their stealth mission helped the feds close the case, and a nonprofit called move rescue started by legitimate movers helps them. >> we're able to use our network of agents across the country that will pick up those goods and deliver them to the customer free of charge. >> reporter: the customer indicted golden hand's opener on 55 counts, including extortion and theft. all because of some scrappy customers and their cameras. >> you can get off the property now. >> reporter: elizabeth leamy, abc news, washington. >> great to see people taking the situation under control on their own. we should note that an attorney for the moving company said this that the owner is a small businessman who feels he did his moving work the best that he could under confusing regulations and difficult circumstances. we want to show you this, as well. >> nice. that is me. that is me, because -- good

picture. i do this all the time when we move. we do it ourselves. it's hard work but you don't end up with what that unfortunate couple had to deal with. harshne. and free ourselves from worrying about the ones we love. new lysol power & free has more cleaning power than bleach. how? the secret is the hydrogen peroxide formula. it attacks tough stains and kills 99.9% of germs. new lysol power & free. powerful cleaning that's family friendly. another step forward in our mission for health.

♪ that was nice. we're in that break right now where you were all festive for christmas, now you're waiting for new years. you can still be festive, because it is kwanzaa. it started yesterday and runs until january 1. >> if you don't know, kwanzaa is a secular celebration to honor african-american heritage. it's been celebrated in the u.s. since 1967. karen jordan has more. >> reporter: drums signal the start of kwanzaa, a week-long celebration of african heritage

and culture among african-americans. this is the 18th year that malcolm x college is hosting a kwanzaa observance, and organizers say it gets larger every year. >> it's about the history, about families coming together so that they can be with each other and share and talk about where we've come from, where we are now and where we must go as a people. >> reporter: kwanzaa is based on seven principles, and each day is dedicated to one of those principles. families seem to be taking it to heart. different generations celebrating together. steven flowers brought his niece and nephew. >> i think it's important for young african-americans to understand and know about their culture. >> i think us coming out today is good, because it's like we're exploring something other than what we are already doing. >> reporter: young people are the focus of a kwanzaa celebration at the bronzeville children's museum.

>> seven beautiful principles that we should follow every day of the year. >> reporter: where they get an early start learning about their heritage. back at malcolm x college, she wants to instill that pride in his children. >> it's about commercial things, buy me, buy me. this is family oriented. >> reporter: karen jordan, abc news. >> it is nice to see people sell participating the holidays. >> it is. and as promised, we are bringing back what you called the best video of the day. >> we've got to just lead with this story. we could just watch this all morning. look at that. >> if that doesn't make you smile, i don't know what will. >> they're probably dangerous, too. but they still look cute. get them a picnic basket.

this morning on "world news now," holiday havoc. the northeast is now getting pounded by the powerful winter storm that caused so much damage as it cut across the country. snow, sleet, ice and dangerous winds are making a mess out of after-christmas travel on the roads and in the air. it's thursday, december 27. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning, i'm muhammad lila. i'm in to be rob nelson, who is off this morning. had such a good time yesterday i thought i would come back. >> did you get any sleep, mr. muhammad lila? >> i got four hours sleep, which is probably three hours more than some of our viewers. we're glad you're awake. all of our insomniacs staying with us. >> good to have you. i'm brandi hitt in for paula faris.

she's out on assignment today. we'll get to the latest on that monster storm in a moment. but first, the growing concern also this morning about former president george h.w. bush and his health. the setbacks that have put him into intensive care. then we're going to show you trading guns for groceries. the big city weapons buyback program that's getting big results after the newtown, connecticut school massacre. >> you're going see more of that long line. unbelievable how many people turned out and the types of guns that were turned in. really interesting. also later, a pretty daring claim about the death of a diva. what a hollywood private eye is claiming about whitney houston. was she really murdered? that's coming up in "the skinny" later on. >> those are some shocking claims there. we begin with the treacherous winter storm that's snarling traffic on the ground and in the air and responsible for killing at least six people so far. >> up to a foot of snow has fallen in parts of indiana and pennsylvania. much the same expected this

morning in new england. winter storm warnings are posted in more than a dozen states. we begin with abc's alex perez. >> reporter: strong winds whipped around fast falling snow in indianapolis and made getting around by foot or car nearly impossible. david mathis struggled just to keep up with the shoveling. you saw no snow and within a couple of hours, what did you see? >> basically whiteout conditions. you looked out the window and couldn't hardly see outside. >> reporter: the massive storm bleeding to blizzard warnings in eight states. 30-mile-per-hour wind gusts in parts of indiana and ohio. slippery roads and poor visibility across the heartland blamed for the deaths of at least six people. in oklahoma, icy roads forced some frustrated drivers to follow a plow truck just to have a clear path. in little rock, freezing temperatures snapped power lines, leaving many in the dark. >> my friend is out of electricity and out of heat. i come to get a propane exchange, but the lights went

out before i could get checked out. >> reporter: back in indianapolis, spinout after spinout, stranded motorists could not compete with the storm. you guys have been trying to get out? >> yes, we're trying to get out of the parking lot and we're spinning in circles. >> reporter: and the wrath of this storm is not over just yet. the snow has ended here, but the next big wave of bad weather is already slamming the northeast. alex perez, abc news, indianapolis. >> and it could be a week before power knocked out by this monster storm is restored to thousands of people in arkansas. other areas of the south are struggling to recover from the christmas day tornado outbreak that hit. a twister that ripped through mobile, alabama had winds topping 130 miles per hour. look at that damage. it barreled across six miles, tearing apart roof tops, store fronts and everything in its path. >> you can't tell it's our neighborhood. there is a house right there, i was at a stop sign and it's completely caved in. >> what a mess. the severe weather knocked out power to thousands of people as temperatures also took a dive.

>> we've been taking a look at the conditions on the ground, but it's also up in the air. this storm system is forcing airlines to cancel at least 1,600 flights. that's turning this christmas travel week into a nightmare for people just trying to get home. >> our coverage continues with meteorologist andrew baglini. he's in the accuweather desk. good morning, andrew. >> good morning, brandi and muhammad. thankfully the severe aspect of our storm is over with. cooler, drier air making its way in. sunshine returning to the southeast. the cleanup continues on interstate 10 and 20 between houston and mobile where we saw over 80 reports of damaging wind gusts. the winter weather aspect of our storm still very much alive. heavy rain along i-95 in boston. snow blanketing much of new england. especially on the northern edge of new england. many areas could pick up over a foot of snow. muhammad and brandi, back to you. >> thank you, andrew. now to the rest of your weather. light rain in phoenix and albuquerque and much of texas. snow showers from the dakotas to des moines and snowy in the

northern rockies and cascades. showers from seattle to portland. >> when it comes to temperatures, 30s in boise and salt lake city. only in the teens from billings to minneapolis. omaha, 22. chicago, you're 30. and mostly 40s in the northeast. now to our other major story. former president george h.w. bush is in intensive care after another health setback. a spokesperson says doctors have not been able to lower mr. bush's high fever, so he's been restricted to a liquid diet. the 41st president is said to be alert and speaking with medical staff, conversing very well. mr. bush, who is 88 years old, has been in the hospital since late last month. and former south african president nelson mandela is out of the hospital. government leaders say that the anti-apartheid icon has been released after spending more than two weeks in the hospital. he was suffering from a lung infection and other ailments there. the 94-year-old will receive more medical care at his johannesburg home.

>> many are celebrating that move that he's going home, but you know you can't be 100% okay and healthy if you're going to be getting home care. so you wonder if he's going to have issues down the road. >> this is an interesting case, because there's an entire nation waiting to see if he's going to be okay. at 94 years old, a lot of things can happen when you get admitted to the hospital. sometimes you're there for something simple and it just continues and continues. we're not talking about just a south african leader, this is a global icon. >> definitely for everything he's done. we'll keep you up to date on that, as well. that and george h.w. bush, because we have two developing stories on both fronts there. hawaii's lieutenant governor is representing his state in the u.s. senate. he's been appointed to succeed the late senator daniel inouye. he arrives in washington, d.c. today in style. he was aboard air force one as president obama returned to the white house. what a become. he will serve in the senate until the election is held in 2014.

and the president is returning to washington as the treasury secretary warns the country is not in a good place when it comes to the national debt. timothy geithner says the government may hit its $16.4 trillion borrowing limit on monday. the president will hear about the fiscal cliff problem as well as members of congress return to washington to address the fiscal cliff. talks will take place behind closed doors. no public negotiations set. you have the debt and the fiscal cliff. it's not looking too good right now when it comes to the u.s. economy. >> geithner told congressional leaders that his department is using some accounting measures basically a fancy way of saying they're going to free up cash to hold off temporarily this fiscal cliff. but it's still not looking good. >> i don't know about you at home, but kicking the can down the road has been happening over and over again. somebody has to make some decisions here. >> it's like in this business, they give you a deadline and you have to hit the deadline. there's no coming in and saying take another ten minutes. it don't work that way in real

life. there are americans out there saying get off your couches. get back to washington and get the deal done. >> sometimes it's not pretty when you have to rush, but get it done. still on the economy now, new signs of a turn around in the real estate market. for the first time since 2006, average housing prices may end the year on an upward trend. good news there for the economy. real estate prices in 20 cities were up 4.3% in october compared to last year. that's not a bad increase. and that increase could reach close to 7%, giving homeowners more confidence when it's time to move. the congress department releases even more sales figures later today. >> good news to report. now to what can only be described as a truly horrific start to a skiin >> oh, yeah. you've got to watch this. watch as an apparently inexperienced snowboarder tries to be dragged up a mountain in switzerland. he's one of a group of englishmen, all of whom stand by

and -- >> wait for it. wait for it. >> there he goes. he's on his way and -- >> oh, no. >> we're cheering for him now. >> oh, there it is. >> not going to happen. >> anybody that's gone skiing knows that's a lot harder than it looks. >> my husband makes fun of me. i've gone like five times and i'm still going 2 miles per hour. apparently i don't like to drive in the snow and i don't like to snowboard. but i try. >> i have a confession to make. when i started snowboarding, that was me and i couldn't do it. thankfully, there were no flip cams or iphones ready to take a video. >> were you trying to go as slow as possible? >> i can embellish a little and say i did get the hang of it after falling down several times. but i was never youtubed like this guy was. >> that's good. >> and i hope i never am

youtubed, though it's only a matter of time. >> there's a phone everywhere. still ahead here, we have much more to get to this morning, including the billionaire who is engaged to a member of the michael jackson family. >> and the amazing door busting deals post christmas shoppers are finding time to put those gift cards to work. you're watching abc "world news now." [ woman ] dear cat, your hair mixes with pollen and dust.

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welcome ck. welcome back. an extraordinary theme played out yesterday in southern california. long lines of cars stretching around corners and down four blocks. all of these are people ready to turn in their guns. >> that's right. they're not lining up for gasoline. this is guns for groceries. in exchange, people sending in assault rifles, any kind of gun you can imagine, all so they would have food to eat. >> one shot gun, one rifle. >> reporter: an suv full of firearms. one of many, as hundreds of residents turn in unwanted weapons for free gift cards. >> i dropped off four .22 rifles, long guns, and a spanish mauzer. >> reporter: the city moved up its annual gun buyback program after the school massacre in newtown. many waiting in the long tines say the tragedy is what spurred them to act. >> because of the recent news, we decided to bring in old guns and drop them off.

>> reporter: the line stretched around the block at both locations in van nuys and exposition park. residents voluntarily surrendered we pops of all shapes and sizes, like this ar-15, similar to the one used in newtown. >> they are exactly the kind of guns that fall into the hands of untrained people who are not their owners and are used for deadly purpose. they are exactly the kind of guns that we want off the street. >> reporter: since the program began in 2009, the lapd collected 8,000 weapons. citizens voluntarily surrender their firearms, no questions asked, no i.d.s needed. in exchange, they get a ralph's gift card. $200 for assault weapons. $100 for other firearms. >> i'm 85 years old. i don't need it. >> reporter: while critics call it a failure saying it gives people money for old weapons that don't work, officials say they know collecting bins full of assault weapons, like this

tech 9, and a fully functioning automatic world war ii gun, save lives. >> wow. the last time they did this, they got about 1700 weapons off the street. >> that's great, but it's also worrying that there are that many weapons out there that people have no use for. >> those are the ones they're just turning in for the money, or because they want to. who knows the real reason? >> absolutely. coming up, a bombshell report about whitney houston's death. and a big business deal involving dr. mcdreamy brewing up something mcsteamy. we'll explain next in "the skinny." >> i love that line. teamy.

♪ skinny, so skinny thank you so much. well, it is time for "the skinny" and i think the first story made a lot of mouths drop. >> absolutely. this has to do with one of america's most beloved performers, one of america's most beloved musicians. whitney houston, the memory of her passing still very fresh. you know, it hasn't been very long. but there are accusations now from a hollywood private investigator who claims that whitney houston was murdered by drug dealers. he claims he has surveillance video that proves it. his name is paul wable, and he's turned over evidence to the fbi, showing that the 48-year-old

singer was killed over a drug debt in february. of course, these are just allegations and accusations. he says he has proof. but again, we haven't seen that proof. of course, if this is true, this would be major, major news. >> in the interview, he also said i can't say that definitely she was killed but i have proof, and there's video of drugs being delivered. if you're going to say that, you better have the stuff to back it up. >> it's going to take some time to get to the bottom of this one. this one may make your mouth drop, as well. i couldn't believe it. >> me and willis might need to start in on this. jerry! jerry! >> i like, that because it could be on jerry springer. britney spears and kevin federline. kevin federline's brother says he fathered their first child, not kevin. christopher federline says he's the father of britney spears' first child, who 17 years old, shawn preston. there's britney and kevin. we don't have an image of christopher. and he also claims that according to the national enquirer, that britney spears stole his credit cards and ran up a lot of bills.

amid all the family drama. but he says, i do confess, i slept with britney. i am the true father of the child, but the public does not need to know. then why are you talking about it? >> they need to televise that paternity test. >> that's not jerry, that's maury. my family loves you, willis. it's bad, it's bad. what else is coming up? we have some positive news, too. >> sticking with hollywood, there are rumors now that janet jackson is engaged to a billionaire boyfriend. he is a qatari billionaire. he owns a retail chain of stores. these rumors, they surfaced here and there. rumor has it that they were going to spend $3 million to fly in about 500 guests for this very posh, very elaborate wedding. $3 million. that's a pretty good wedding.

>> if it is true, and they're very happy, congratulations. there's nothing wrong with that. i hope it works out. patrick dempsey, ladies, you have to believe he's mcdreamy. i don't watch "gray's anatomy," but he's a very attractive young man, correct? he is rescuing a coffee house chain. he has a big heart, as well. trying to save jobs of more than 500. it's called tully's coffee. it failed for chapter 11 bankruptcy. if he goes in there and serves coffee every day, trust me, business will be booming once again. so good luck. i hope he's able to do it. >> and just before we wrap up you "the skinny," a couple of star crossed starlets in hollywood. there are rumors now that liam hensworth was spotted wearing a ring, suggesting that the couple may now be engaged. now, we want to see this ring, of course. >> you have to look close. you can see it.

all right. >> and that is "the skinny." coming up, did you think the shopping season was over? >> there were bargains. we'll show you. er? >> there were bargains. we'll show you. now with a fancy coating that gives you a burst of wildberry flavor. now why make a flavored heartburn pill? because this is america. and we don't just make things you want, we make things you didn't even know you wanted. like a spoon fork. spray cheese. and jeans made out of sweatpants. so grab yourself some new prilosec otc wildberry. [ male announcer ] one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. satisfaction guaranteed or your money back. if by blessed you mean freaked out about money well we suddenly noticed that everything was getting more expensive so we switched to the bargain detergent but i found myself using three times more than you're supposed to and the clothes still weren't as clean as with tide. so we're back to tide. they're cuter in clean clothes. thanks honey yeah you suck at folding [ laughs ] [ female announcer ] one cap of tide

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vicks nyquil -- powerful nighttime 6-symptom cold & flu relief. ♪ ♪ an eclectic group of music today. getting you in the spirit. think the stores are done trying to separate you from your hard earned money. christmas may have come and gone, but shopping season isn't over. >> retailers are slashing price in an effort to get you to buy

what they have. abc's kneel karlinsky checked out the deals. >> reporter: the holidays may be over, but retailers aren't giving up so easy. we watched fresh sale signs going up, as stores took the more important season into overtime. $400 coats down to? >> 60% off. so $148. >> reporter: retailers are desperate for holiday shopping to keep on going after a bleak few weeks. holiday sales rose 0.7% from last year, the slowest growth since 2008. >> key areas were the northeast and mid-atlantic. the impact zone of hurricane sandy is where we saw the weakest growth of the year. >> reporter: the season of giving looked a lot more like the season of giving back. >> i got a jacket from my girlfriend that was slightly too big. so i returned it and got back $71 back and the size i wanted. >> reporter: 10% of all gifts are headed straight back to the store. electronics can be some of the

toughest. often with only a 15-day return window. many other items can go back 30 or even 90 days later. so analysts warn that many now require an i.d. between now and new years, some amazing deals out there. we found a 50-inch tv on sale for just $399. computers at costco up to $500 off and discounts up to 50% to 70% off at many, many stores. neal karlinsky, abc news, seattle. >> so brandi, you told us yesterday you were going shopping today to get some stuff on your way back to l.a. did you get anything? >> you know what? oh, look at that. i didn't buy anything. the stores were a lot less crowded. same sales as on christmas weekend. it was a waste of time. it was nothing discounted even more. so lesson learned. you don't have to do it next year.